Request apparatus for delivery of medical support implement by UAV

ABSTRACT

An illustrative apparatus may include a UAV request apparatus having a housing with at least one interface configured to accept one or more inputs that are each indicative of a particular type of medical situation. A control system may be configured to receive, via the interface, a first input that corresponds to a first type of medical situation in which a defibrillator is configured to provide medical support; and send, via a first network interface to an access system for a network of UAVs, a medical support request including a unique electronic identifier for the apparatus and an indication of the first type of medical situation, such that a UAV delivers a defibrillator to a location associated with the unique electronic identifier.

BACKGROUND

Unless otherwise indicated herein, the materials described in thissection are not prior art to the claims in this application and are notadmitted to be prior art by inclusion in this section.

Access to medical support implements, such as defibrillators, inhalersand drugs like epinephrine and insulin, may be critical to those inemergency medical situations. Further, expedient access to or deliveryof such medical support implements may be particularly important incases of cardiac distress or anaphylactic shock where mere minutes canmake a difference in saving a person's life. Typically, when a medicalemergency occurs in a residential, commercial or public setting (i.e.,outside of a hospital or other healthcare facility), the personexperiencing the emergency or a bystander will call 911 or anotheremergency medical service and wait for help to arrive, or will locatethe nearest First-Aid kit or Automated External Defibrillator (AED) andattempt to provide medical assistance.

This construct may have certain disadvantages to both the personexperiencing the medical emergency and the homeowner or entity thatowns, leases or manages a public or commercial facility. For example,the medical support implement(s) necessary to respond to or providetreatment in a medical emergency may not be readily available or easilyaccessible at the site of the emergency. Generally, drugs such asepinephrine and insulin are not kept in commercial or public buildings.While AEDs are required by law to be placed in certain public andcommercial spaces, they may not be present in the immediate area of anemergency when it occurs and may be hard to locate, may not befunctioning properly due to lack of proper maintenance, or may notinclude sufficient instructions for a layperson to provide adequateassistance. If an emergency medical service is called, it can take up to20 seconds for the dispatcher to even pick up the call and then can takeanother seven to nine minutes for a first responder to arrive to provideemergency medical care.

Further, the cost to purchase, install and maintain AEDs or othermedical support implements in a public or commercial place can besignificant. For example, an AED may cost around $2,000-$3,000 just toinstall and laws may require multiple AEDs to be placed within abuilding or other large space. Moreover, typical AEDs must be manuallymaintained, requiring maintenance personnel to periodically visit to thesite at which it is installed, levying additional burden and cost to thebuilding or facility owner. Such costs would also likely be prohibitiveto an individual desiring to have access to an AED in his or herresidence.

SUMMARY

In one aspect, an exemplary apparatus may include: (a) a housing havingat least one interface configured to accept one or more inputs that areeach indicative of a particular type of medical situation; (b) a firstnetwork interface that is operable to communicate with an access systemfor a network of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that are configured formedical support, wherein at least one of the UAVs is configured todeliver a defibrillator; and (c) a control system configured to: (i)receive, via the at least one interface, a first input that correspondsto a first type of medical situation in which a defibrillator isconfigured to provide medical support; and (ii) in response to receiptof the first input, send a medical-support request to the access systemvia the first network interface, wherein the medical-support requestcomprises a unique electronic identifier for the apparatus and anindication of the first type of medical situation, such that a UAVdelivers a defibrillator to a location associated with the uniqueelectronic identifier. The apparatus may, in a further embodiment,include at least one display disposed on the housing. In someembodiments, the display may be detachable from the housing, but mayremain locked to the housing until receipt of a first input by thecontrol system. The at least one interface may be a touch-screeninterface or one or more push-buttons. The housing may be installed at aknown and stationary location. The first network interface may be oneof: a plain old telephone service (POTS) network, a wireless network, acellular network, a fiber network and a data network.

In a further aspect, a non-transitory computer readable medium may havestored therein instructions that are executable to cause a controlsystem to perform functions comprising: (a) receiving, via an interfaceof an apparatus, a first input that corresponds to a first type ofmedical situation in which a defibrillator is configured to providemedical support; and (b) in response to receipt of the first input,sending, via a network interface, a medical-support request to an accesssystem for a network of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that areconfigured for medical support, wherein the medical-support requestcomprises a unique electronic identifier for the apparatus and anindication of the first type of medical situation, such that a UAVdelivers a defibrillator to a location associated with the uniqueelectronic identifier. The interface may be configured to accept one ormore inputs that are each indicative of a particular type of medicalsituation.

These as well as other aspects, advantages, and alternatives, willbecome apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art by reading thefollowing detailed description, with reference where appropriate to theaccompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1, 2, 3A, and 3B are simplified illustrations of unmanned aerialvehicles, according to example embodiments.

FIG. 4 is a simplified block diagram illustrating a medical supportsystem, according to an example embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a simplified block diagram illustrating components of anunmanned aerial vehicle, according to an example embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a flow chart illustrating a UAV request apparatus and itsrelation to an access system, according to an example embodiment.

FIGS. 7, 8 and 9 are simplified illustrations of UAV requestapparatuses, according to example embodiments.

FIG. 10 is a simplified block diagram illustrating components of a UAVrequest apparatus, according to an example embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Exemplary methods and systems are described herein. It should beunderstood that the word “exemplary” is used herein to mean “serving asan example, instance, or illustration.” Any embodiment or featuredescribed herein as “exemplary” or “illustrative” is not necessarily tobe construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments orfeatures. More generally, the embodiments described herein are not meantto be limiting. It will be readily understood that certain aspects ofthe disclosed systems and methods can be arranged and combined in a widevariety of different configurations, all of which are contemplatedherein.

I. OVERVIEW

Embodiments described herein may relate to or may be implemented inconjunction with a system in which unmanned vehicles, and in particular,“unmanned aerial vehicles” (UAVs), are configured to provide medicalsupport. A medical-support system including one or more UAVs may be usedto deliver medical support implements from a remote location to those inneed of emergency medical assistance. The system may include one or moreUAVs positioned at known locations throughout a city or geographic area.

An unmanned vehicle, which may also be referred to as an autonomousvehicle, is a vehicle capable of travel without a physically-presenthuman operator. An unmanned vehicle may operate in a remote-controlmode, in an autonomous mode, or in a partially autonomous mode. Varioustypes of unmanned vehicles exist for various different environments. Forinstance, unmanned vehicles exist for operation in the air, on theground, underwater, and in space. Unmanned vehicles also exist forhybrid operations in which multi-environment operation is possible.Examples of hybrid unmanned vehicles include an amphibious craft that iscapable of operation on land as well as on water or a floatplane that iscapable of landing on water as well as on land. Other examples are alsopossible.

In an illustrative embodiment, the medical-support system may beaccessed via an apparatus, such as a UAV request apparatus, that can beplaced within public or commercial buildings or spaces. The apparatusmay include at least one interface, which may include interface featuressuch as push-buttons, handles, levers and/or a touch-screen interfacethat are configured to accept one or more inputs that are eachindicative of a particular type of medical situation. Simple interfacefeatures may each designate a particular medical situation for whichmedical support by a UAV may be requested. For example, an exampleapparatus may allow a user to request that a UAV provide support forspecific types of medical emergencies such as cardiac arrest, allergicreaction, diabetic shock, trouble breathing, asthma, broken bone, etc.Alternatively, an example apparatus may allow a user to request that aUAV deliver specific medical support implements or items, such as anAED, epinephrine, insulin, an inhaler, a splint, a First-Aid kit, etc.In one example, an apparatus may be configured to request that a UAVdeliver a defibrillator.

Such an apparatus may also be provided with a first network interface,such as a plain old telephone service (POTS) connection, a wirelessnetwork connection, or a fiber or internet connection, which isconfigured to communicate with an access and/or dispatch system for anetwork of medical-support UAVs. A second network interface may also beprovided such that the apparatus may conduct automated maintenance, suchas checking connectivity, performing self-diagnostics, etc. A displayconfigured to display still and/or video images may also be provided onthe apparatus housing.

In the event of a medical emergency, the person in need of support, orsomeone on behalf of that person, may locate the closest exampleapparatus and request medical support from a UAV via an interface of theapparatus. Specifically, the interface may be used to indicate aparticular medical situation. For example, in the case of a personsuffering from a cardiac arrest, a bystander may quickly locate thenearest UAV request apparatus and input a request, via the interface,that a UAV deliver an AED to the site of the medical emergency. Theinterface of the example apparatus may be configured to allow for fastand easy identification and selection of the particular medicalemergency, or medical support implement necessary to address theparticular medical emergency, such as with easy to read knobs, switches,or touch-sensitive controls.

In response to receiving such input, the apparatus automatically sends amedical-support request to the access system indicating the type ofmedical situation via the first network interface, which may help toeliminate the twenty seconds it typically takes, on average, for aperson dialing 911 to even be connected with an operator or dispatcher.The medical-support request may also include the unique electronicidentifier associated with the UAV request apparatus from which therequest was sent. Because the exact location of each UAV requestapparatus is known based on where it is installed, communication of theunique electronic identifier to the access system is a communication ofthe location of the UAV request apparatus. The unique electronicidentifier may be a “phone” number or IP address, depending on the typeof connection (e.g., phone, fiber or internet) used.

Upon receiving the medical-support request, a UAV will be selected thatis configured to assist in or provide medical support for the inputmedical situation(s). For example, in response to a medical supportrequest indicating that a person is experiencing cardiac arrest, a UAVconfigured with a defibrillator is then deployed from, for example, thenearest dispatch facility. UAVs may be positioned around a geographicarea such that they can arrive at the site of any UAV request apparatuswithin a certain amount of time, for example, within the amount of timerecognized by the medical community as critical for a person sufferingfrom a particular emergency medical situation should receive medicalassistance. For instance, UAVs configured to deliver AEDs may bepositioned around a city such that time to delivery would be no morethan 90-120 seconds from receipt of a medical support request.

Studies have shown that without defibrillation, approximately 95 percentof cardiac arrest victims die before reaching a hospital. Further, atthe onset of cardiac arrest, the chances of survival are reduced byseven to ten percent for every minute that passes withoutdefibrillation, which is the process of sending an electric shock to theheart to restore a normal heartbeat and reverse cardiac arrest. Afterten minutes, survival is unlikely. (See, e.g., American HeartAssociation, 2004, Sudden Deaths From Cardiac Arrest—Statistics(available at americanheart.org; Eisenberg M S, Cummins R O, Damon S,Larsen M P, Hearne T R. Survival rates from out-of-hospital cardiacarrest: recommendations for uniform definitions and data to report. AnnEmerg Med. 1990; 19:1249-1259; Eisenberg M S, Copass M K, Hallstrom A,Cobb L A, Bergner L. Management of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest:failure of basic emergency medical technician services. JAMA. 1980;243:1049-1051).

Such critical timing may not be achievable in conventional emergencymedical response systems, such as with ambulances or manned helicopters,where road traffic and personnel staffing are at issue. For example, ifit takes 8-9 minutes for an EMS unit such as an ambulance or fire truckto arrive at the site of the emergency under normal circumstances, thefirst 60-120 seconds of that time may involve the dispatch (e.g.,calling 9-1-1, speaking to an operator, etc.). A UAV, on the other handcan be dispatched with an example system without the human interactionrequired for typical 9-1-1 emergency response, and may be able to travelfaster than a ground vehicle because it does not face traffic conditionsand will have less distance to cover since it can travel “as the crowflies” versus following roads.

Prior to being deployed, the chosen UAV may be loaded, either manuallyor automatically via a launch pad, with one or more medical supportimplements, including an AED, insulin, epinephrine, or an inhaler, asexamples. Alternatively, the system may include a fleet with a number ofdifferent types of UAVs, which are pre-configured for different medicalsituations. For instance, some UAVs may be configured with items and/orfunctionality that are expected to be helpful in a cardiac-arrestsituation, some UAVs may be configured to help a choking victim, someUAVs may be configured to help a trauma victim, and so on. The accesssystem may select the appropriate UAV(s) from those that are available,and dispatch the selected UAV to the scene of the medical situation. Theselected UAV or UAVs may autonomously navigate to the location of theUAV request apparatus, or may be navigated manually by an operator ofthe access system.

Upon sending the medical support request, or upon delivery of a medicalsupport implement by a UAV, the apparatus may provide, via the videodisplay, step-by-step instructions for assisting to the person sufferingfrom a medical condition. This may include instructions for using thedelivered medical support implement, for example, instructions for howto administer a drug, or instructions for how to use a defibrillator.

The example UAV request apparatus described herein may be less expensiveto purchase, install, and maintain than traditional systems, includinginstalled defibrillators. For example, because a UAV request apparatusdoes not, itself, house a medical support implement it may, therefore,present a cost savings in both purchase price and maintenance costs.Whereas the average price of an AED unit may be, e.g., thousands ofdollars, the purchase price of each UAV request apparatus may be muchless expensive because the components are simpler and less expensive,and/or because research and development costs for the UAV requestapparatus may be significantly less than those for AEDs. The automatedmaintenance aspect of a UAV request apparatus may also reducemaintenance costs over traditional systems, such as installeddefibrillators, which must be manually maintained. Further, example UAVrequest apparatuses provide greater breadth of coverage, at a lowercost, in that each apparatus can be designed to request a UAV configuredto provide support for a wide variety of medical emergencies orconfigured to deliver a variety medical support implements. Whereas,under traditional circumstances, a different medical support implementnecessary to address each medical emergency would have to be purchasedand maintained on site.

Further, because of its potential affordability, example UAV requestapparatuses may be more accessible to individuals for placement in theirresidences or dwellings. While approximately 80% of cardiac arrestsoccur in residences, very few AEDs are purchased for and installed inhomes. Individuals at risk for cardiac arrest or afflicted with otherlife-threatening conditions, especially the elderly, may receive morebenefit from the fast and broad coverage of an example UAV requestapparatus bearing a nominal monthly subscription, versus a traditionalinstalled AED which applies to only particular emergency situations andwould require a large lump sum of several thousand dollars forinstallation and associated maintenance costs.

It should be understood that the above embodiments, and otherembodiments described herein, are provided for explanatory purposes, andare not intended to be limiting.

Further, the term “medical situation” as used herein should beunderstood to include any situation to which government or privateentity, such as a police department, a fire department, and/or anemergency medical services (EMS) entity, might dispatch its personnel.Therefore, some medical situations may in fact be non-medical in nature.For example, an emergency situation to which a police car, fire truck,or ambulance might be dispatched may be considered a medical situationfor purposes of this disclosure. Medical support may not be required atsuch emergency situations (e.g., when police are sent to the scene of anon-violent crime). Further, some non-emergency situations to which apolice car, fire truck, ambulance, or the like might be dispatched mayalso be considered a medical situation for purposes of this disclosure.Thus, while exemplary embodiments may be described as being implementedto help provide medical support at the scene of a medical situation,those skilled in the art will understand that the UAVs, thefunctionality of such UAVs, and/or other aspects of the embodiments thatare explicitly described herein can also apply in non-medical and/ornon-emergency applications.

II. ILLUSTRATIVE UNMANNED VEHICLES

The term “unmanned aerial vehicle,” as used in this disclosure, refersto any autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle that is capable ofperforming some functions without a physically-present human pilot.Examples of flight-related functions may include, but are not limitedto, sensing its environment or operating in the air without a need forinput from an operator, among others.

A UAV may be autonomous or semi-autonomous. For instance, some functionscould be controlled by a remote human operator, while other functionsare carried out autonomously. Further, a UAV may be configured to allowa remote operator to take over functions that can otherwise becontrolled autonomously by the UAV. Yet further, a given type offunction may be controlled remotely at one level of abstraction andperformed autonomously at another level of abstraction. For example, aremote operator could control high level navigation decisions for a UAV,such as by specifying that the UAV should travel from one location toanother (e.g., from the city hall in Palo Alto to the city hall in SanFrancisco), while the UAV's navigation system autonomously controls morefine-grained navigation decisions, such as the specific route to takebetween the two locations, specific flight controls to achieve the routeand avoid obstacles while navigating the route, and so on. Otherexamples are also possible.

A UAV can be of various forms. For example, a UAV may take the form of arotorcraft such as a helicopter or multicopter, a fixed-wing aircraft, ajet aircraft, a ducted fan aircraft, a lighter-than-air dirigible suchas a blimp or steerable balloon, a tail-sitter aircraft, a glideraircraft, and/or an ornithopter, among other possibilities. Further, theterms “drone”, “unmanned aerial vehicle system” (“UAVS”), or “unmannedaerial system” (“UAS”) may also be used to refer to a UAV.

FIG. 1 is a simplified illustration of a UAV, according to an exampleembodiment. In particular, FIG. 1 shows an example of a rotorcraft 100that is commonly referred to as a multicopter. Multicopter 100 may alsobe referred to as a quadcopter, as it includes four rotors 110. Itshould be understood that example embodiments may involve rotorcraftwith more or less rotors than multicopter 100. For example, a helicoptertypically has two rotors. Other examples with three or more rotors arepossible as well. Herein, the term “multicopter” refers to anyrotorcraft having more than two rotors, and the term “helicopter” refersto rotorcraft having two rotors.

Referring to multicopter 100 in greater detail, the four rotors 110provide propulsion and maneuverability for the multicopter 100. Morespecifically, each rotor 110 includes blades that are attached to amotor 120. Configured as such the rotors may allow the multicopter 100to take off and land vertically, to maneuver in any direction, and/or tohover. Furthermore, the pitch of the blades may be adjusted as a groupand/or differentially, and may allow a multicopter 110 to performthree-dimensional aerial maneuvers such as an upside-down hover, acontinuous tail-down “tic-toc,” loops, loops with pirouettes,stall-turns with pirouette, knife-edge, immelmann, slapper, andtraveling flips, among others. When the pitch of all blades is adjustedto perform such aerial maneuvering, this may be referred to as adjustingthe “collective pitch” of the multicopter 100. Blade-pitch adjustmentmay be particularly useful for rotorcraft with substantial inertia inthe rotors and/or drive train, but is not limited to such rotorcraft.

Additionally or alternatively, multicopter 100 may propel and maneuveritself by adjusting the rotation rate of the motors, collectively ordifferentially. This technique may be particularly useful for smallelectric rotorcraft with low inertia in the motors and/or rotor system,but is not limited to such rotorcraft.

Multicopter 100 also includes a central enclosure 130 with a hinged lid135. The central enclosure may contain, e.g., control electronics suchas an inertial measurement unit (IMU) and/or an electronic speedcontroller, batteries, other sensors, and/or a payload, among otherpossibilities.

The illustrative multicopter 100 also includes landing gear 140 toassist with controlled take-offs and landings. In other embodiments,multicopters and other types of UAVs without landing gear are alsopossible. For example, delivery mechanisms including winching from ahovering aircraft and dropping with a parachute are also contemplated.

In a further aspect, multicopter 100 includes rotor protectors 150. Suchrotor protectors 150 can serve multiple purposes, such as protecting therotors 110 from damage if the multicopter 100 strays too close to anobject, protecting the multicopter 100 structure from damage, andprotecting nearby objects from being damaged by the rotors 110. Itshould be understood that in other embodiments, multicopters and othertypes of UAVs without rotor protectors are also possible. Further, rotorprotectors of different shapes, sizes, and function are possible,without departing from the scope of the invention.

A multicopter 100 may control the direction and/or speed of its movementby controlling its pitch, roll, yaw, and/or altitude. To do so,multicopter 100 may increase or decrease the speeds at which the rotors110 spin. For example, by maintaining a constant speed of three rotors110 and decreasing the speed of a fourth rotor, the multicopter 100 canroll right, roll left, pitch forward, or pitch backward, depending uponwhich motor has its speed decreased. Specifically, the multicopter mayroll in the direction of the motor with the decreased speed. As anotherexample, increasing or decreasing the speed of all rotors 110simultaneously can result in the multicopter 100 increasing ordecreasing its altitude, respectively. As yet another example,increasing or decreasing the speed of rotors 110 that are turning in thesame direction can result in the multicopter 100 performing a yaw-leftor yaw-right movement. These are but a few examples of the differenttypes of movement that can be accomplished by independently orcollectively adjusting the RPM and/or the direction that rotors 110 arespinning.

FIG. 2 is a simplified illustration of a UAV, according to an exampleembodiment. In particular, FIG. 2 shows an example of a tail-sitter UAV200. In the illustrated example, the tail-sitter UAV 200 has fixed wings202 to provide lift and allow the UAV to glide horizontally (e.g., alongthe x-axis, in a position that is approximately perpendicular to theposition shown in FIG. 2). However, the fixed wings 202 also allow thetail-sitter UAV 200 take off and land vertically on its own.

For example, at a launch site, tail-sitter UAV 200 may be positionedvertically (as shown) with fins 204 and/or wings 202 resting on theground and stabilizing the UAV in the vertical position. The tail-sitterUAV 200 may then take off by operating propellers 206 to generate theupward thrust (e.g., a thrust that is generally along the y-axis). Onceat a suitable altitude, the tail-sitter UAV 200 may use its flaps 208 toreorient itself in a horizontal position, such that the fuselage 210 iscloser to being aligned with the x-axis than the y-axis. Positionedhorizontally, the propellers 206 may provide forward thrust so that thetail-sitter UAV 200 can fly in a similar manner as a typical airplane.

Variations on the illustrated tail-sitter UAV 200 are possible. Forinstance, tail-sitters UAVs with more or less propellers, or thatutilize a ducted fan or multiple ducted fans, are also possible.Further, different wing configurations with more wings (e.g., an“x-wing” configuration with four wings), with less wings, or even withno wings, are also possible. More generally, it should be understoodthat other types of tail-sitter UAVs and variations on the illustratedtail-sitter UAV 200 are also possible.

As noted above, some embodiments may involve other types of UAVs, inaddition or in the alternative to multicopters. For instance, FIGS. 3Aand 3B are simplified illustrations of other types of UAVs, according toexample embodiments.

In particular, FIG. 3A shows an example of a fixed-wing aircraft 300,which may also be referred to as an airplane, an aeroplane, or simply aplane. A fixed-wing aircraft 300, as the name implies, has stationarywings 302 that generate lift based on the wing shape and the vehicle'sforward airspeed. This wing configuration is different from arotorcraft's configuration, which produces lift through rotating rotorsabout a fixed mast, and an ornithopter's configuration, which produceslift by flapping wings.

FIG. 3A depicts some common structures used in a fixed-wing aircraft300. In particular, fixed-wing aircraft 300 includes a fuselage 304, twohorizontal wings 302 with an airfoil-shaped cross section to produce anaerodynamic force, a vertical stabilizer 306 (or fin) to stabilize theplane's yaw (turn left or right), a horizontal stabilizer 308 (alsoreferred to as an elevator or tailplane) to stabilize pitch (tilt up ordown), landing gear 310, and a propulsion unit 312, which can include amotor, shaft, and propeller.

FIG. 3B shows an example of an aircraft 350 with a propeller in a pusherconfiguration. The term “pusher” refers to the fact that the propulsionunit 358 is mounted at the back of the aircraft and “pushes” the vehicleforward, in contrast to the propulsion unit being mounted at the frontof the aircraft. Similar to the description provided for FIG. 3A, FIG.3B depicts common structures used in the pusher plane: a fuselage 352,two horizontal wings 354, vertical stabilizers 356, and a propulsionunit 358, which can include a motor, shaft, and propeller.

UAVs can be launched in various ways, using various types of launchsystems (which may also be referred to as deployment systems). A verysimple way to launch a UAV is a hand launch. To perform a hand launch, auser holds a portion of the aircraft, preferably away from the spinningrotors, and throws the aircraft into the air while contemporaneouslythrottling the propulsion unit to generate lift.

Rather than using a hand launch procedure in which the person launchingthe vehicle is exposed to risk from the quickly spinning propellers, astationary or mobile launch station can be utilized. For instance, alaunch system can include supports, angled and inclined rails, and abackstop. The aircraft begins the launch system stationary on the angledand inclined rails and launches by sufficiently increasing the speed ofthe propeller to generate forward airspeed along the incline of thelaunch system. By the end of the angled and inclined rails, the aircraftcan have sufficient airspeed to generate lift. As another example, alaunch system may include a rail gun or cannon, either of which maylaunch a UAV by thrusting the UAV into flight. A launch system of thistype may launch a UAV quickly and/or may launch a UAV far towards theUAV's destination. Other types of launch systems may also be utilized.

In some cases, there may be no separate launch system for a UAV, as aUAV may be configured to launch itself. For example, a “tail sitter” UAVtypically has fixed wings to provide lift and allow the UAV to glide,but also is configured to take off and land vertically on its own. Otherexamples of self-launching UAVs are also possible.

In a further aspect, various other types of unmanned vehicles may beutilized to provide remote medical support. Such vehicles may include,for example, unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs), unmanned space vehicles(USVs), and/or unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs). A UGV may be avehicle which is capable of sensing its own environment and navigatingsurface-based terrain without input from a driver. Examples of UGVsinclude watercraft, cars, trucks, buggies, motorcycles, treadedvehicles, and retrieval duck decoys, among others. A UUV is a vehiclethat is capable of sensing its own environment and navigating underwateron its own, such as a submersible vehicle. Other types of unmannedvehicles are possible as well.

III. ILLUSTRATIVE MEDICAL SUPPORT SYSTEMS WITH UAVS

As noted above, UAVs may be deployed to provide remote medical support.FIG. 4 is a simplified block diagram illustrating a medical supportsystem 400, according to an example embodiment.

In an illustrative medical-support system 400, an access system 402 mayallow for interaction with, control of, and/or utilization of a networkof medical-support UAVs 404. In some embodiments, an access system 402may be a computing system that allows for human-controlled dispatch ofUAVs 404. As such, the access system may include or otherwise provide auser interface (UI) 403 via which a user can access and/or control UAVs404.

As a specific example, access system 402 could be a computing system ata service provider for the medical-support system, a police station or afire station. Accordingly, a human operator at the service provider,police station, or fire station may receive an indication that asituation exists from a remote device 406, for example, a communicationfrom a UAV request apparatus. The operator may then determine thatmedical support is appropriate and utilize access system 402 to dispatchone or more UAVs to provide the appropriate medical support. Forexample, the operator may use the UI 403 of access system 402 to requestthat a UAV be dispatched to the location of remote device 406.

A UI 403 of an access system 402 may provide other functionality inaddition to allowing for dispatch of UAVs 404. For example, UI 403 mayallow an operator to specify certain details related to the medicalsituation to which the UAV is being dispatched. Examples of such detailsmay include, but are not limited to: (a) general information related tothe person or persons involved in the situation, such as age, height,weight, and so on, (b) medical information related to the person orpersons involved in the situation, such as medical history, knownallergies, and so on, (c) information related to the medical situationitself, such as symptoms exhibited by a person, details of eventssurrounding the situation (e.g., a car accident), and so on, and (d)desired specifications for the UAV to be dispatched, such asmedical-support capabilities, wireless-communication capabilities, andso on.

Further, an access system 402 may provide for remote operation of a UAV.For instance, an access system 402 may allow an operator to control theflight of a UAV via UI 403. As a specific example, an operator may usean access system to dispatch a UAV 404 to the scene of a medicalsituation. The UAV 404 may then autonomously navigate to or near thelocation of the identified medical situation. The operator may use theaccess system 402 at any point to take over control of the UAV 404, andnavigate the UAV to a different location. Other examples are alsopossible.

In an illustrative embodiment, UAVs 404 may take various forms. Forexample, each UAV 404 may be a UAV such as those illustrated in FIGS. 1,2, 3A, and 3B. However, medical support system 400 may also utilizeother types of UAVs without departing from the scope of the invention.In some implementations, all UAVs 404 may be of the same or a similarconfiguration. However, in other implementations, UAVs 404 may include anumber of different types of UAVs. For instance, UAVs 404 may include anumber of types of UAVs, with each type of UAV being configured for adifferent type or types of medical support

Remote device 406 may take various forms. Generally, a remote device 406may be any device via which a request for medical support can be madeand/or via which a situation that may require or benefit from medicalsupport can be reported. For instance, a remote device 406 may be amobile phone, tablet computer, laptop computer, personal computer, orany network-connected computing device. Further, in some instances,remote device 406 may not be a computing device. As an example, astandard telephone, which allows for communication via plain oldtelephone service (POTS), may serve as a remote device 406. Remotedevice 406 may be provided as a UAV request apparatus 600, and may bepositioned at a stationary location, such as within a building, aresidence, or public location.

As noted above, a remote device 406 may be configured to allow a user torequest medical support. For example, a person may use their mobilephone, a POTS phone, a VoIP phone, or a stationary UAV requestapparatus, to contact an emergency medical service (e.g., place a 9-1-1call) and request that medical support be provided at the scene of anaccident. Further, note that a request for medical support need not beexplicit. For instance, a person may place a 9-1-1 call to report anemergency situation. When the 9-1-1 operator receives such a call, theoperator may evaluate the information that is provided and decide thatmedical support is appropriate. Accordingly, the operator may use anaccess system 402 to dispatch a UAV 404.

In a further aspect, a remote device 406 may be configured to determineand/or provide an indication of its own location. For example, remotedevice 406 may include a GPS system so that it can include GPS locationinformation (e.g., GPS coordinates) in a communication to an accesssystem 402 and/or to a dispatch system such as central dispatch system408. As another example, a remote device 406 may use a technique thatinvolves triangulation (e.g., between base stations in a cellularnetwork) to determine its location. Alternatively, another system suchas a cellular network may use a technique that involves triangulation todetermine the location of a remote device 406, and then send a locationmessage to the remote device 406 to inform the remote device of itslocation. Other location-determination techniques are also possible.Further, as will be explained further below, if the remote device 406 isa stationary device, such as a UAV request apparatus 600 having a knownlocation, then it may be configured to provide an indication of its ownlocation by communicating a unique electronic identifier associated withthat particular apparatus.

In an illustrative arrangement, central dispatch system 408 may be aserver or group of servers, which is configured to receive dispatchmessages requests and/or dispatch instructions from an access system402. Such dispatch messages may request or instruct the central dispatchsystem 408 to coordinate the deployment of UAVs for remote medicalsupport. A central dispatch system 408 may be further configured toroute such requests or instructions to local dispatch systems 410. Toprovide such functionality, central dispatch system 408 may communicatewith access system 402 via a data network, such as the Internet or aprivate network that is established for communications between accesssystems and automated dispatch systems. The central dispatch system 408may include a fully automated or computer implemented system, and/or itmay include human operators.

In the illustrated configuration, central dispatch system 408 may beconfigured to coordinate the dispatch of UAVs 404 from a number ofdifferent local dispatch systems 410. As such, central dispatch system408 may keep track of which UAVs 404 are located at which local dispatchsystems 410, which UAVs 404 are currently available for deployment,and/or which medical situation or situations each of the UAVs 404 isconfigured for. Additionally or alternatively, each local dispatchsystem 410 may be configured to track which of its associated UAVs 404are currently available for deployment and/or which medical situation orsituations each of its associated UAVs is configured for.

In some embodiments, when central dispatch system 408 receives a medicalsupport request from an access system 402, central dispatch system 408may select a specific UAV 404 to dispatch. The central dispatch system408 may accordingly instruct the local dispatch system 410 that isassociated with the selected UAV to dispatch the selected UAV. The localdispatch system 410 may then operate its associated deployment system412 to launch the selected UAV.

As a specific example, central dispatch system 408 may receive a requestfor medical support that indicates a certain type of medical situationand a location where the situation is occurring. Take, for instance, arequest for medical support at the home of a person who appears to havesuffered from cardiac arrest. In this scenario, the central dispatchsystem 408 may evaluate the fleet of UAVs 404 to select the closestavailable UAV to the person's home that is configured to provide medicalsupport when a heart attack has occurred. Alternatively, the centraldispatch system 408 may select an available UAV that is within a certaindistance from the person's home (which may or may not be the closest),and which is configured to provide medical support when cardiac arresthas occurred.

In other embodiments, a central dispatch system 408 may forward arequest for medical support to a local dispatch system 410 that is nearthe location where the support is requested, and leave the selection ofa particular UAV 404 to the local dispatch system 410. For instance, ina variation on the above example, central dispatch system 408 mayforward a request for medical support at the home of a person whoappears to have suffered from a heart attack to the local dispatchsystem 410 that is closest to, or within a certain distance from, theperson's home. Upon receipt of the request, the local dispatch system410 may then determine which of its associated UAVs is configured toprovide medical support to a heart-attack victim, and deploy this UAV.

The medical-support system 400 may cause the selected UAV to travel tothe target location to provide medical support. This function may beaccomplished in various ways, depending upon the particularimplementation.

In some embodiments, a component of the medical-support system may senda message to another entity to indicate that the selected UAV should bedeployed. For example, if an access system 402 may identify the medicalsituation (or receive an identification of the type of medical situationfrom a remote UAV request apparatus), select an appropriate type of UAV,and send a message to the central dispatch system 408, which indicatesthat a UAV of the selected type should be dispatched to the targetlocation. As another example, a central dispatch system 408 may identifythe medical situation (or receive an identification of the type ofmedical situation from a remote UAV request apparatus), select anappropriate type of UAV, and send a message to the local dispatch system408 that indicates that a UAV of the selected type should be dispatchedto the target location. In either case, the central dispatch system 408may then relay the message to the appropriate local dispatch system 410,which may operate a deployment system to launch the selected UAV.

In some embodiments, the medical-support system may send a message toinstruct a deployment system to launch the selected UAV, or directlyoperating the deployment system to launch the selected UAV. Further, themedical-support system may prepare the selected UAV to travel to thetarget location, such as by determining and setting way points to allowthe UAV to navigate to the target location.

Further, upon receiving a request for medical support, for example, viaa UAV request apparatus, the central dispatch system 408 may alsocommunicate to local emergency medical systems that a medical emergencyhas been detected. The central dispatch system 408 may also communicateto the emergency medical unit the particular type of medical emergencythat has been indicated, i.e., cardiac arrest, anaphylactic shock, etc.

In further examples, the central dispatch system 408 may notifycommunity responders of the request for medical support. For example,these community responders may be called, paged or otherwise notified ona mobile phone or computer with the details and location of the medicalemergency so that they may travel to the scene and provide assistance.These community responders may be volunteers. In the alternative, a useraccount associated with the remote device 406, such as a UAV requestapparatus, may specify that certain persons (i.e., emergency contacts,next door neighbors) should be contacted so that they may beautomatically notified that a medical emergency has occurred.

A medical-support system 400 may include or have access to a number ofdifferent types of UAVs, which are configured to provide medical supportin various different medical scenarios. As such, different UAVs may besaid to have a different “medical-support configurations.” Amedical-support system may select a UAV that has a medical-supportconfiguration that is likely to provide or assist in providing medicalsupport for the particular medical situation. Alternatively oradditionally, the medical support system 400 may have access to UAVswhich do not have a particular “medical-support configuration,” but maybe loaded a particular medical support implement prior to deployment.

In some cases, the medical-support configuration of a given type of UAVmay include a package of one or more items that are designed to provideor assist in providing medical support for a certain medical situation.For example, a given type of UAV could include Aspirin and adefibrillator, and thus might be selected as an appropriate UAV todeploy when the medical-support system receives an indication that aheart attack or cardiac arrest is occurring or has just occurred. Manyother examples are also possible. The package may be loaded on or intothe UAV prior to deployment.

Additionally or alternatively, the medical-support configuration of agiven type of UAV may include one or more operational functions that aredesigned to provide or assist in medical support for the remote medicalsituation. For instance, a UAV may include wireless communicationcapabilities that allow remote medical personnel to assist those at thescene. For instance, a UAV might include in its package, a mobile phoneor HMD, via which a bystander can communicate with and receiveinstructions from remote medical personnel, such that the bystander canbe informed how to, e.g., provide care to a person who is injured or issuffering from a medical condition. As another example, a UAV mayinclude program logic (e.g., medical support module(s) 416) that allowsthe UAV to perform certain diagnostic tests, in which the UAV analyzesdata acquired from certain sensory systems of the UAV. Other examplesare also possible.

In some embodiments, the selection of a UAV may be based, at least inpart, on the particular person to whom medical support is going to beprovided. For example, the medical-support system may determine that aparticular user-account is associated with the medical situation. Themedical-support system may then determine a service level for theparticular user-account, and use the service level as a basis to selectthe UAV.

For example, there may be several UAVs that could be deployed to providemedical support in a particular medical situation. However, for variousreasons, a particular one of the UAVs may only be deployed to someonewho was paid for or otherwise is entitled to a higher service level.Accordingly, the particular UAV may only be selected if a personinvolved in the medical situation is authorized for the higher servicelevel. Note that in some cases, the service level attributed to aparticular communication may be that to which the person to whom themedical support is being provided by a UAV (e.g., the victim of anaccident) is entitled. However, in other cases, the service level may bethat of someone other than a person in need of medical care. Forexample, a family member, friend, or even a bystander to a medicalsituation, may have a particular service level that allows them torequest medical support corresponding to the particular service level,on the behalf of another person in need.

The particular user-account may be determined in various ways. Forexample, a person may link their computing devices, such as their mobilephones, to a user-account for medical support. Accordingly, themedical-support system may determine an identification number for theremote device that provides the indication of the medical situation, anduse the identification number to look up the associated medical-supportuser-account. Alternatively, the person who requests medical support mayprovide identification and/or log-in information, so that amedical-support user-account may be identified and/or verified by themedical-support system. Other techniques for determining the particularuser-account are also possible.

In a further aspect, medical history and/or other information related tothe particular person in need of medical support may be utilized toselect an appropriate UAV. For example, delivery of prescriptionmedications by non-physicians may be strictly regulated, even inemergency situations. To facilitate the verification and delivery ofsuch medications, a medical-support system may include an opt-inregistry, which includes persons' names and a list of medications forwhich each person has a current prescription. To facilitate diagnosis,the opt-in registry may further include a list of an individual's knownmedical conditions that may lead to emergency care. In practice, a givenuser-account may indicate such prescription-authorization information,known medical conditions, and/or other medical information for theperson. Accordingly, a medical-support system may access theuser-account for a person in need of medical support to determinewhether or not they have a prescription for a particular medication,such that a UAV including the particular medication can be dispatched.

In an example configuration, a local dispatch system 410 may beimplemented in a computing system at the same location as the deploymentsystem or systems 412 that it controls. For example, in someembodiments, a local dispatch system 410 could be implemented by acomputing system at a building, such as a fire station, where thedeployment systems 412 and UAVs 404 that are associated with theparticular local dispatch system 410 are also located. In otherembodiments, a local dispatch system 410 could be implemented at alocation that is remote to its associated deployment systems 412 andUAVs 404.

Numerous variations on and alternatives to the illustrated configurationof medical support system 400 are possible. For example, in someembodiments, the remote device 406 could communicate a request medicalsupport directly to a central dispatch system 408. Further, in someimplementations, some or all of the functionality that is attributedherein to central dispatch system 408, local dispatch system(s) 410,access system 402, and/or deployment system(s) 412 could be combined ina single system, implemented in a more complex system, and/orredistributed among central dispatch system 408, local dispatchsystem(s) 410, access system 402, and/or deployment system(s) 412 invarious ways.

Yet further, while each local dispatch system 410 is shown as having twoassociated deployment systems, a given local dispatch system 410 mayhave more or less associated deployment systems. Similarly, whilecentral dispatch system 408 is shown as being in communication with twolocal dispatch systems 410, a central dispatch system may be incommunication with more or less local dispatch systems 410.

In a further aspect, a deployment system 412 may take various forms. Ingeneral, a deployment system may take the form of or include a systemfor physically launching a UAV 404. Further, a deployment system 412 maybe configured to launch one particular UAV 404, or to launch multipleUAVs 404. A deployment system 412 may further be configured to provideadditional functions, including for example, diagnostic-relatedfunctions such as verifying system functionality of the UAV, verifyingfunctionality of devices that are housed within a UAV (e.g., such as adefibrillator, a mobile phone, or an HMD), and/or maintaining devices orother items that are housed in the UAV (e.g., by charging adefibrillator, mobile phone, or HMD, or by checking that medicine hasnot expired).

In some embodiments, the deployment systems 412 and their correspondingUAVs 404 (and possibly associated local dispatch systems 410) may bestrategically distributed throughout an area such as a city. Forexample, deployment systems 412 may be located on the roofs of certainmunicipal buildings, such as fire stations, which can thus serve as thedispatch locations for UAVs 404. Fire stations may function well for UAVdispatch, as fire stations tend to be distributed well with respect topopulation density, their roofs tend to be flat, and the use offirehouse roofs as leased spaces for UAV dispatch could further thepublic good. However, deployment systems 412 (and possibly the localdispatch systems 410) may be distributed in other ways, depending uponthe particular implementation.

In a further aspect, a medical-support system 400 may include or haveaccess to a user-account database 414. The user-account database 414 mayinclude data for a number of user-accounts, which are each associatedwith one or more person or other subscribing entity, such as a buildingowner, corporation or local government. For a given user-account, theuser-account database 414 may include data related to the associatedperson(s) or entity, such as a persons' medical history. Note that themedical-support system may only acquire, store, and utilize data relatedto a person with that person's explicit permission to do so.

Further, in some embodiments, a person or entity may have to registerfor a user-account with the medical-support system 400 in order to useor be provided with medical support by the UAVs 404 of medical-supportsystem 400. As such, the user-account database 414 may includeauthorization information for a given user-account (e.g., a user-nameand password), and/or other information that may be used to authorizeaccess to a user-account.

In some embodiments, a person may associate one or more of their deviceswith their user-account, such that they can be provided with access tothe services of medical-support system 400. For example, when a personuses an associated mobile phone to, e.g., place a call to an operator ofaccess system 402 or sends a message requesting medical support to adispatch system, the phone may be identified via a unique deviceidentification number, and the call or message may then be attributed tothe associated user-account. In addition or in the alternative to beingan authorization mechanism, identifying the user-account may allowinformation such as the person's medical history to be used inresponding to their request for medical support.

Further, in embodiments where the remote device is a UAV requestapparatus 600, one or more UAV request apparatuses may be associatedwith a user account. For example, when a person uses an associated UAVrequest apparatus to send a medical-support request to a dispatchsystem, the UAV request apparatus may be identified via a unique deviceidentification number, and the medical-support request may then beattributed to the associated user-account.

In a further aspect, the user-account database 414 may include dataindicating a service level for each user. More specifically, amedical-support system 400 may provide service according to a number ofdifferent service levels, which correspond to different types of medicalsupport. For example, a higher service level may: (a) provide access toadditional types of UAVs, (b) provide medical support for additionalmedical situations, (c) provide access to improved support for a givenmedical situation, and/or (d) have priority as far as response time torequests for medical support, as compared to a lower service level.Other differences between a higher and lower service level are alsopossible.

In some embodiments, there may be no individual user accounts associatedwith a medical system; or, user accounts may exist but may not be usedfor purposes of determining whether a person should be provided medicalsupport and/or for purposes of determining the quality of medicalsupport that should be provided. For example, a medical support systemmay be implemented by a municipality or another public entity to providemedical support to citizens for free or at an equal cost. In anotherexample, a medical support system may be implemented by a serviceprovider in which persons or entities purchase a UAV request apparatus600 for installation in their home, commercial building, etc., and theservice provider provides medical support to all persons or entitieshaving purchased a UAV request apparatus. Other examples are alsopossible.

IV. ILLUSTRATIVE COMPONENTS OF A MEDICAL-SUPPORT UAV

FIG. 5 is a simplified block diagram illustrating components of a UAV500, according to an example embodiment. UAV 500 may take the form of orbe similar in form to one of the UAVs 100, 200, 300, and 350 shown inFIGS. 1, 2, 3A, and 3B. However, a UAV 500 may also take other forms.

UAV 500 may include various types of sensors, and may include acomputing system configured to provide the functionality describedherein. In the illustrated embodiment, the sensors of UAV 500 include aninertial measurement unit (IMU) 502, ultrasonic sensor(s) 504, GPS 506,imaging system(s) 508, among other possible sensors and sensing systems.

In the illustrated embodiment, UAV 500 also includes one or moreprocessors 510. A processor 510 may be a general-purpose processor or aspecial purpose processor (e.g., digital signal processors, applicationspecific integrated circuits, etc.). The one or more processors 510 canbe configured to execute computer-readable program instructions 514 thatare stored in the data storage 512 and are executable to provide thefunctionality of a UAV described herein.

The data storage 512 may include or take the form of one or morecomputer-readable storage media that can be read or accessed by at leastone processor 510. The one or more computer-readable storage media caninclude volatile and/or non-volatile storage components, such asoptical, magnetic, organic or other memory or disc storage, which can beintegrated in whole or in part with at least one of the one or moreprocessors 510. In some embodiments, the data storage 512 can beimplemented using a single physical device (e.g., one optical, magnetic,organic or other memory or disc storage unit), while in otherembodiments, the data storage 512 can be implemented using two or morephysical devices.

As noted, the data storage 512 can include computer-readable programinstructions 514 and perhaps additional data, such as diagnostic data ofthe UAV 500. As such, the data storage 514 may include programinstructions to perform or facilitate some or all of the UAVfunctionality described herein. For instance, in the illustratedembodiment, program instructions 514 include a navigation module 515 andone or more medical-support modules 516.

A. Sensors

In an illustrative embodiment, IMU 502 may include both an accelerometerand a gyroscope, which may be used together to determine the orientationof the UAV 500. In particular, the accelerometer can measure theorientation of the vehicle with respect to earth, while the gyroscopemeasures the rate of rotation around an axis. IMUs are commerciallyavailable in low-cost, low-power packages. For instance, an IMU 502 maytake the form of or include a miniaturized MicroElectroMechanical System(MEMS) or a NanoElectroMechanical System (NEMS). Other types of IMUs mayalso be utilized.

An IMU 502 may include other sensors, in addition to accelerometers andgyroscopes, which may help to better determine position and/or help toincrease autonomy of the UAV 500. Two examples of such sensors aremagnetometers and pressure sensors. Other examples are also possible.(Note that a UAV could also include such additional sensors as separatecomponents from an IMU.)

While an accelerometer and gyroscope may be effective at determining theorientation of the UAV 500, slight errors in measurement may compoundover time and result in a more significant error. However, an exampleUAV 500 may be able mitigate or reduce such errors by using amagnetometer to measure direction. One example of a magnetometer is alow-power, digital 3-axis magnetometer, which can be used to realize anorientation independent electronic compass for accurate headinginformation. However, other types of magnetometers may be utilized aswell.

UAV 500 may also include a pressure sensor or barometer, which can beused to determine the altitude of the UAV 500. Alternatively, othersensors, such as sonic altimeters or radar altimeters, can be used toprovide an indication of altitude, which may help to improve theaccuracy of and/or prevent drift of an IMU.

In a further aspect, UAV 500 may include one or more sensors that allowthe UAV to sense objects in the environment. For instance, in theillustrated embodiment, UAV 500 includes ultrasonic sensor(s) 504.Ultrasonic sensor(s) 504 can determine the distance to an object bygenerating sound waves and determining the time interval betweentransmission of the wave and receiving the corresponding echo off anobject. A typical application of an ultrasonic sensor for unmannedvehicles or IMUs is low-level altitude control and obstacle avoidance.An ultrasonic sensor can also be used for vehicles that need to hover ata certain height or need to be capable of detecting obstacles. Othersystems can be used to determine, sense the presence of, and/ordetermine the distance to nearby objects, such as a light detection andranging (LIDAR) system, laser detection and ranging (LADAR) system,and/or an infrared or forward-looking infrared (FLIR) system, amongother possibilities.

UAV 500 also includes a GPS receiver 506. The GPS receiver 506 may beconfigured to provide data that is typical of well-known GPS systems,such as the GPS coordinates of the UAV 500. Such GPS data may beutilized by the UAV 500 for various functions. For example, the GPScoordinates of the UAV request apparatus at which medical support wasrequested may be communicated to the UAV. As such, the UAV may use itsGPS receiver 506 to help navigate to the UAV request apparatus'slocation, as indicated, at least in part, by the provided GPScoordinates. Other examples are also possible.

UAV 500 may also include one or more imaging system(s) 508. For example,one or more still and/or video cameras may be utilized by a UAV 500 tocapture image data from the UAV's environment. As a specific example,charge-coupled device (CCD) cameras or complementarymetal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) cameras can be used with unmannedvehicles. Such imaging sensor(s) 508 have numerous possibleapplications, such as obstacle avoidance, localization techniques,ground tracking for more accurate navigation (e.g., by applying opticalflow techniques to images), video feedback, and/or image recognition andprocessing, among other possibilities.

In a further aspect, UAV 500 may use its one or more imaging system 508to help in determining location. For example, UAV 500 may captureimagery of its environment and compare it to what it expects to see inits environment given current estimated position (e.g., its current GPScoordinates), and refine its estimate of its position based on thiscomparison.

In a further aspect, UAV 500 may include one or more microphones. Suchmicrophones may be configured to capture sound from the UAVsenvironment.

B. Navigation and Location Determination

The navigation module 515 may provide functionality that allows the UAV500 to, e.g., move about in its environment and reach a desiredlocation. To do so, the navigation module 515 may control the altitudeand/or direction of flight by controlling the mechanical features of theUAV that affect flight (e.g., rotors 110 of UAV 100).

In order to navigate the UAV 500 to a target location, a navigationmodule 515 may implement various navigation techniques, such asmap-based navigation and localization-based navigation, for instance.With map-based navigation, the UAV 500 may be provided with a map of itsenvironment, which may then be used to navigate to a particular locationon the map. With localization-based navigation, the UAV 500 may becapable of navigating in an unknown environment using localization.Localization-based navigation may involve a UAV 500 building its own mapof its environment and calculating its position within the map and/orthe position of objects in the environment. For example, as a UAV 500moves throughout its environment, the UAV 500 may continuously uselocalization to update its map of the environment. This continuousmapping process may be referred to as simultaneous localization andmapping (SLAM). Other navigation techniques may also be utilized.

In some embodiments, the navigation module 515 may navigate using atechnique that relies on waypoints. In particular, waypoints are sets ofcoordinates that identify points in physical space. For instance, anair-navigation waypoint may be defined by a certain latitude, longitude,and altitude. Accordingly, navigation module 515 may cause UAV 500 tomove from waypoint to waypoint, in order to ultimately travel to a finaldestination (e.g., a final waypoint in a sequence of waypoints).

In a further aspect, navigation module 515 and/or other components andsystems of UAV 500 may be configured for “localization” to moreprecisely navigate to the scene of a medical situation. Morespecifically, it may be desirable in certain situations for a UAV to beclose to the person in need of medical support (e.g., within reach ofthe person), so as to properly provide medical support to the person. Tothis end, a UAV may use a two-tiered approach in which it uses amore-general location-determination technique to navigate to a targetlocation or area that is associated with the medical situation, and thenuse a more-refined location-determination technique to identify and/ornavigate to the target location within the general area.

For example, a UAV 500 may navigate to the general area of a person inneed using waypoints that are pre-determined based on GPS coordinatesprovided by a remote device at the scene of the medical situation. TheUAV may then switch to mode in which it utilizes a localization processto locate and travel to a specific location of the person in need. Forexample, if a person is having a heart attack at a large stadium, a UAV500 carrying a medical package may need to be within reach of the personor someone near the person so that she can take items from the package.However, a GPS signal may only get a UAV so far, e.g., to the stadium. Amore precise location-determination technique may then be used to findthe specific location of the person within the stadium. Further, theperson in need of medical assistance may not be located near thelocation of the UAV request apparatus from which the medical-supportrequest was sent.

Various types of location-determination techniques may be used toaccomplish localization of a person once a UAV 500 has navigated to thegeneral area of the person, or to the location of the UAV requestapparatus that sent the medical support request. For instance, a UAV 500may be equipped with one or more sensory systems, such as, for example,imaging system(s) 508, a directional microphone array (not shown),ultrasonic sensors 504, infrared sensors (not shown), and/or othersensors, which may provide input that the navigation module 515 utilizesto navigate autonomously or semi-autonomously to the specific locationof a person.

As another example, once the UAV 500 reaches the general area of theperson or UAV request apparatus, the UAV 500 may switch to a“fly-by-wire” mode where it is controlled, at least in part, by a remoteoperator, who can navigate the UAV 500 to the specific location of theperson in need. To this end, sensory data from the UAV 500 may be sentto the remote operator to assist them in navigating the UAV to thespecific location. For example, the UAV 500 may stream a video feed or asequence of still images from the UAV's imaging system(s) 508. Otherexamples are possible.

As yet another example, the UAV 500 may include a module that is able tosignal to a passer-by for assistance in either reaching the specificlocation or delivering its medical-support items to the medicalsituation; for example, by displaying a visual message in a graphicdisplay, playing an audio message or tone through speakers, flashing alight, or performing a combination of such functions. Such visual oraudio message might indicate that assistance is needed in delivering theUAV 500 to the person in need, and might provide information to assistthe passer-by in delivering the UAV 500 to the person, such adescription of the person, the person's name, and/or a description ofthe person's specific location, among other possibilities. Thisimplementation can be useful in a scenario in which the UAV is unable touse sensory functions or another location-determination technique todetermine the specific location of the person.

As an additional example, once a UAV 500 arrives at the general area ofthe medical situation, the UAV may utilize a beacon from the remotedevice (e.g., the mobile phone of a person who called for medicalsupport, or the UAV request apparatus that sent the medical-supportrequest) to locate the person in need of assistance. Such a beacon maytake various forms. As an example, consider the scenario where a remotedevice, such as the mobile phone of a person in need or a bystander or aUAV request apparatus, is able to send out directional signals (e.g., anRF signal, a light signal and/or an audio signal). In this scenario, theUAV may be configured to navigate by “sourcing” such directionalsignals—in other words, by determining where the signal is strongest andnavigating accordingly. As another example, a remote device can emit afrequency, either in the human range or outside the human range, and theUAV can listen for that frequency and navigate accordingly. As a relatedexample, if the UAV is listening for spoken commands, then the UAV couldutilize spoken statements, such as “Help! I'm over here!” to source thespecific location of the person in need of medical assistance.

In an alternative arrangement, a navigation module may be implemented ata remote computing device, which communicates wirelessly with the UAV.The remote computing device may receive data indicating the operationalstate of the UAV, sensor data from the UAV that allows it to assess theenvironmental conditions being experienced by the UAV, and/or locationinformation for the UAV. Provided with such information, the remotecomputing device may determine altitudinal and/or directionaladjustments that should be made by the UAV and/or may determine how theUAV should adjust its mechanical features (e.g., rotors 110 of UAV 100)in order to effectuate such movements. The remote computing system maythen communicate such adjustments to the UAV so it can move in thedetermined manner.

In another example, the remote computing device may include a databaseor other file storage containing pre-determined flight paths for each ofthe UAVs in the system. If the origin location of each UAV in the fleetis known and the target location of each UAV request apparatus in thesystem known, then a flight path from each UAV origin location to eachUAV request apparatus location may be pre-determined and stored in adatabase. Once a particular UAV request apparatus has sent amedical-support request and a UAV 404 has been selected for deployment,then the remote computing device can retrieve a pre-determined flightpath from the database and cause the selected UAV to navigate to thelocation of the UAV request apparatus.

C. Communication Systems

In a further aspect, UAV 500 includes one or more communication systems520. The communications systems 520 may include one or more wirelessinterfaces and/or one or more wireline interfaces, which allow UAV 500to communicate via one or more networks. Such wireless interfaces mayprovide for communication under one or more wireless communicationprotocols, such as Bluetooth, WiFi (e.g., an IEEE 802.11 protocol),Long-Term Evolution (LTE), WiMAX (e.g., an IEEE 802.16 standard), aradio-frequency ID (RFID) protocol, near-field communication (NFC),and/or other wireless communication protocols. Such wireline interfacesmay include an Ethernet interface, a Universal Serial Bus (USB)interface, or similar interface to communicate via a wire, a twistedpair of wires, a coaxial cable, an optical link, a fiber-optic link, orother physical connection to a wireline network.

In an example embodiment, a UAV 500 may include communication systems520 that allow for both short-range communication and long-rangecommunication. For example, the UAV 500 may be configured forshort-range communications using Bluetooth and for long-rangecommunications under a CDMA protocol. In such an embodiment, the UAV 500may be configured to function as a “hot spot;” or in other words, as agateway or proxy between a remote support device and one or more datanetworks, such as cellular network and/or the Internet. Configured assuch, the UAV 500 may facilitate data communications that the remotesupport device would otherwise be unable to perform by itself.

For example, UAV 500 may provide a WiFi connection to a remote device,and serve as a proxy or gateway to a cellular service provider's datanetwork, which the UAV might connect to under an LTE or a 3G protocol,for instance. The UAV 500 could also serve as a proxy or gateway to ahigh-altitude balloon network, a satellite network, or a combination ofthese networks, among others, which a remote device might not be able tootherwise access.

D. Power Systems

In a further aspect, UAV 500 may include power system(s) 521. A powersystem 521 may include one or more batteries for providing power to theUAV 500. In one example, the one or more batteries may be rechargeableand each battery may be recharged via a wired connection between thebattery and a power supply and/or via a wireless charging system, suchas an inductive charging system that applies an external time-varyingmagnetic field to an internal battery.

E. Medical-Support Functionality

As noted above, UAV 500 may include one or more medical-support modules516. The one or more medical-support modules 516 include software,firmware, and/or hardware that may help to provide or assist in theprovision of the medical-support functionality described herein.

Configured as such, a UAV 500 may provide medical support in variousways. For instance, a UAV 500 may have stored information that can beprovided to a person or persons at the target location, in order toassist the person or persons in providing medical care. For example, aUAV may include a video or audio file with instructions for providingmedical support, which the UAV can play out to a person at the targetlocation. As another example, a UAV may include an interactiveinstruction module to assist a person at the target location inproviding medical support. For instance, a UAV may include anapplication that analyzes the person's speech to detect questionsrelated to the medical situation and/or that provides a text-basedinterface via which the person can ask such questions, and thendetermines and provides answers to such questions.

In some embodiments, a UAV 500 may facilitate communication between alayperson and/or medical personnel at the scene and medical personnel ata remote location. As an example, a medical support module 516 mayprovide a user interface via which a person at the scene can use acommunication system 520 of the UAV to communicate with an emergencymedical technician at a remote location. As another example, the UAV 500can unlock certain capabilities of a remote device, such as a mobilephone or other handheld computing device, which is near the UAV at thescene of a medical situation. Such capabilities may be inaccessible to auser of the remote device, unless the remote device is within a certaindistance from the UAV such that the UAV can unlock the capabilities. Forexample, a UAV may send the remote device a security key that allows theremote device to establish a secure connection to communicate withmedical personnel at a remote location. Other examples are alsopossible.

Further, in order to provide medical support at a remote location, a UAV500 may be configured to transport items to the scene of a medicalsituation. Such items may aid in diagnosing and/or treating a person whoneeds medical assistance, or may serve other purposes. Such items mayinclude, as examples: (a) medicines, (b) diagnostic devices, such as apulse oximeter, blood pressure sensor, or EKG sensor, (c) treatmentdevices, such as an EpiPen, a first aid kit, a splint, an inhaler, orvarious kinds of defibrillators (e.g., an AED), and/or (d) remotesupport devices, such as a mobile phone or a head-mountable device(HMD), among other possibilities. Note that some items that areelectronic may include one or more batteries to provide power to theitem. These batteries may be rechargeable and may be recharged using oneor more wired or wireless charging systems. In addition or on in thealternative, an item may be integrated with one or more batteries in thepower system 521 for power.

A UAV 500 may employ various systems and configurations in order totransport items to the scene of a medical situation. For example, asshown in FIG. 1, a UAV 100 can include a compartment 135, in which anitem or items may be transported. As another example, the UAV caninclude a pick-and-place mechanism, which can pick up and hold the itemwhile the UAV is in flight, and then release the item during or afterthe UAV's descent. As yet another example, a UAV could include anair-bag drop system, a parachute drop system, and/or a winch system thatis operable from high above a medical situation to drop or lower an itemor items to the scene of the medical situation. Other examples are alsopossible.

In some implementations, a given UAV 500 may include a “package”designed for a particular medical situation (or possibly for aparticular set of medical situations). A package may include one or moreitems for medical support in the particular medical situation, and/orone or more medical-support modules 516 that are designed to providemedical support in the particular medical situation. In some cases, aUAV 500 may include a package that is designed for a particular medicalsituation such as choking, cardiac arrest, shock, asthma, drowning, etc.

In other cases, a UAV 500 may include a package that is designed for anumber of different medical situations, which may be associated in someway. For example, a dive-accident package may be designed to provide orassist in provision of care in various medical situations that are oftenassociated with a scuba diving accident, such as drowning and/ordecompression sickness. Such a dive-accident package might include aflotation device, an oxygen-therapy system, a system for deliveringvisual and/or audible medical care instructions (e.g., instructions forperforming CPR), and/or a signaling device, among other possibilities. AUAV 500 that is configured with such a dive-accident package may bereferred to herein as a “dive-rescue” UAV. Such a dive-rescue UAV may bedeployed to a diver on the surface of the water, who has just had anaccident while scuba diving, with the hope that the UAV can reach thediver and deliver medical treatment sooner than would otherwise bepossible.

For instance, provided with the above dive-accident package, the UAV 500may drop a flotation device to help the diver stay afloat until thediver can be reached by rescuers. In addition, the UAV may include asignaling device, which can be automatically turned on when the UAVlocates the diver. Doing so may help a rescue boat locate a diver morequickly. Further, once the diver has been rescued, the UAV may displayvisual instructions and/or play back auditory instructions for CPR,which may help to revive a drowning victim. Such instructions may beparticularly useful in the case where the diver is rescued bynon-medical professionals; if the diver is rescued by a passing fishingboat, for example.

Further, when the UAV arrives at the scene of a dive accident or, morelikely, once the diver has been moved to a rescue boat, the UAV couldprovide an oxygen-therapy system, and possibly instructions for usethereof, in order to treat possible decompression sickness. Since arescue boat might not have oxygen-therapy system, and immediateadministration of pure oxygen has been shown to increase the probabilityof recovering from decompression sickness, such functionality of a UAVcould improve treatment for a diver suffering from decompressionsickness.

In some embodiments, a UAV 500 could include an integrated system ordevice for administering or assisting in the administration of medicalcare (e.g., a system or device having one or more components that arebuilt in to the structure of the UAV itself). For example, as notedabove, a UAV could include an oxygen-therapy system. In an exampleconfiguration, an oxygen-therapy system might include a mask that isconnected via tubing to an on-board oxygen source. Configured as such,the UAV could release the oxygen mask when it reaches a person in needof oxygen (e.g., at a fire scene).

As another example of a UAV with an integrated medical-support device, aUAV 500 might function as a mobile defibrillator. Specifically, ratherthan carry a stand-alone defibrillator that can then be removed from theUAV for use, the UAV itself may function as a defibrillator.

As a specific example, a multicopter might include components of an AEDthat is built into its body, as well as retractable electrode pads foradministering a shock to a person who is experiencing a cardiac event orarrest. When the multicopter arrives at the scene of cardiac arrest, themulticopter may land, disable its rotors, and enter a mode where itfunctions as an AED. Specifically, after landing, the multicopter mayrelease its retractable electrode pads and provide instructions so thata bystander, who might be layperson, could use the electrode pads toadminister care to the person with a cardiac arrest. Such instructionsmay be provided, for example, by displaying text and/or video on agraphic display that is built in to the body of the multicopter, and/orby playing back audio instructions. The multicopter could also include awireless communication interface via which a bystander could communicatewith a live remote operator (e.g., a medical professional at a remotelocation), in order to receive instructions for using the AED.

Many other examples and variations on the above examples of UAVs withintegrated medical-support systems and devices are also possible. Forinstance, a medical device may be integrated into the structure of a UAVitself when doing so reduces weight, improves aerodynamics, and/orsimplifies the use of the device by a person at the scene of the medicalsituation. Further, those skilled in the art will appreciate that amedical-support system or device may be integrated in the structure of aUAV in other situations and for other reasons.

In some applications, a UAV 500 may be dispatched to the scene of amedical situation to provide early intelligence to medical personnel. Inparticular, a UAV 500 may be dispatched because it is expected to reachthe location of a medical situation more rapidly than medical personnelare able to. In this scenario, the UAV 500 may arrive at the scene andprovide early intelligence by communicating information and providingsituational awareness to medical personnel. For example, a UAV 500 mayuse its imaging system(s) 508 to capture video and/or still images atthe scene of the medical situation, which the UAV 500 may communicate tomedical and/or emergency personnel. As another example, UAV 500 couldadminister preliminary tests to a person in need, or request that abystander administer certain preliminary diagnostic tests and/or providecertain information. UAV 500 may then send such test results and/or suchinformation provided by a bystander to medical and/or emergencypersonnel. A UAV 500 may provide other types of early-intelligenceinformation as well.

By providing early intelligence to medical and/or emergency personnel, aUAV 500 may help the medical and/or emergency personnel to prepare toprovide care, such that more effective care can be provided once thepersonnel arrive at the scene. For instance, a UAV 500 could send video,test results, and/or bystander-provided information to medical personnelwhile they are travelling in an ambulance on their way to the scene, tofiremen or other personnel while they are in a fire truck on their wayto the scene, and/or to police they are in a law-enforcement vehicle ontheir way to the scene, among other possibilities.

It should be understood that the examples of medical-supportfunctionality that are provided herein are not intended to be limited. AUAV may be configured to provide other types of medical-supportfunctionality without departing from the scope of the invention.

V. ILLUSTRATIVE DEVICES

As illustrated in FIG. 6, the remote device may be provided as a UAVrequest apparatus 600 via which a medical support request 602 can becommunicated to an access system for a network of UAVs configured toprovide medical support. In an illustrative example, the UAV requestapparatus 600 may generate and send a medical support request 602, viacommunication network(s) 604 to an access system 606, which may allowfor interaction with, control of, and/or utilization of a network ofmedical-support UAVs 608. UAV request apparatus 600 may also besubstituted for the remote device 406 shown in the simplified blockdiagram of FIG. 4.

FIG. 7 is a simplified illustration of a UAV request apparatus 700,according to an example embodiment. In particular, FIG. 7 shows anexample of a UAV request apparatus 600 having a housing 702 and at leastone interface 704, configured to accept one or more inputs. In thisexample, the interface 704 includes a plurality of push-buttons 706,each button depicting a particular type of medical situation. Themedical situations that may be indicated on the interface 604 mayinclude different types of medical conditions or symptoms such ascardiac arrest, allergic reaction, diabetic shock, trouble breathing,asthma, broken bone, etc., and/or may include types of medical supportimplements such as an AED, epinephrine, insulin, inhaler, splint,First-AID kit, etc. In an exemplary embodiment, the interface designatesa medical situation, such as cardiac arrest, in which a defibrillator isconfigured to provide medical support.

In some embodiments, the UAV request apparatus 700 may also includedisplay(s) 708, although a display is not required. The display 708 maybe permanently fixed to or integrated with the housing 702. Thedisplay(s) 618 may be configured to display video, image or textualinformation or other data sent from the access system, dispatch systemor operator thereof, or contained in data storage on the UAV requestapparatus. For example, the display(s) may be used to communicateinformation such as instructions for administering emergency medicalcare once the UAV arrives, a count-down of the time to arrival of theUAV(s), and/or directions to the exact location where the UAV will landor drop the medical support implement. In another example, the display708 may also be a touch-screen display configured to accept one or moreinputs from a user.

In further embodiments, the display 708 may be removable from thehousing. A removable display may include a tablet or other handheldcomputing device. Further, the UAV request apparatus 700 may beconfigured such that the removable display may not be removed from thehousing 602 until a certain condition is satisfied, such as when amedical-support request is received by the UAV request apparatus'sinternal control system or received by the access system. The removabledisplay may also be configured to display video, image or textualinformation or other data sent from the access system, dispatch systemor operator thereof, or contained in data storage on the UAV requestapparatus or on the removable display itself. Additionally oralternatively, UAV request apparatus 700 may include both a fixed and aremovable display.

In a further aspect, UAV request apparatus 700 may allow a person inneed of medical assistance and/or a bystander to communicate with theaccess system or dispatch system or an operator thereof, and vice-versa.For example, the UAV request apparatus 700 may include one or more of acamera 710, a speaker 712 and a microphone 714. The microphone 714 maybe configured to capture sound from the UAV request apparatus'senvironment, including vocal communication from a person in need ofmedical assistance and/or a bystander. The camera may be configured tocapture video and or still-frame images from the UAV request apparatus'senvironment, including images of the condition of the person in need ofmedical assistance which may assist the access system or dispatch systemin assessing the medical condition. Further, the speaker 712 may beconfigured to play audio recordings stored in the UAV requestapparatus's internal memory, or output verbal communications from aremote source, such as an operator or dispatcher.

In addition, a removable cover 716 may be provided over the UAV requestapparatus housing 702 to prevent interface 704 from unintentionallyreceiving inputs when an emergency medical situation does not exist. Thecover 716 may be made of a transparent material, such that the inputs onthe UAV request apparatus are readily observable through the cover 716,

Another example of a UAV request apparatus 800 is shown in FIG. 8. Inthis example, the interface 804 on the housing 802 may be a touch-screeninterface with a plurality of virtual buttons 806, each depicting aparticular type of medical situation. Accordingly, interface 804 mayconstitute both a display and the interface 804 for receiving one ormore inputs. Again, the interface designates at least one medicalsituation in which a defibrillator is configured to provide medicalsupport.

FIG. 9 illustrates a further example of a UAV request apparatus 900. Inthis simplified example, housing 902 includes an interface 904 providedas a large push button 906 depicting a medical situation—cardiacarrest—in which a defibrillator is configured to provide medicalsupport. Additional embodiments of the UAV request apparatus interfaceare contemplated.

FIG. 10 is a simplified block diagram illustrating components of a UAVrequest apparatus 1000, according to an example embodiment. All of thecomponents may be provided within a housing 1002. UAV request apparatus1000 may take the form of or be similar in form to one of the UAVrequest apparatuses 700, 800 or 900 shown in FIGS. 7, 8 and 0. However,UAV request apparatus 1000 may also take other forms.

UAV request apparatus 1000 may include at least one interface 1004configured to accept one or more inputs that are each indicative of aparticular type of medical situation. The interface 1004 may be ofvarious types. In a further aspect, UAV request apparatus 1000 includesone or more network interfaces 1006. The network interfaces 1006 mayinclude one or more wireless interfaces and/or one or more wirelineinterfaces, which allow UAV request apparatus 1000 to communicate viaone or more networks. Such wireless interfaces may provide forcommunication under one or more wireless communication protocols, suchas Bluetooth, WiFi (e.g., an IEEE 802.11 protocol), Long-Term Evolution(LTE), WiMAX (e.g., an IEEE 802.16 standard), a radio-frequency ID(RFID) protocol, near-field communication (NFC), and/or other wirelesscommunication protocols. Such wireline interfaces may include anEthernet interface, a Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface, POTSinterface, or similar interface to communicate via a wire, a twistedpair of wires, a coaxial cable, an optical link, a fiber-optic link, orother physical connection to a wireline network. A first of the networkinterfaces 1006 may be operable to communicate with an access system fora network of UAVs. A second of the network interfaces 1006 may beoperable to communicate with a remote computing system for diagnosticpurposes, such as confirming that the UAV request apparatus 1000 haspower and that the components of the UAV request apparatus 1000 arefunctioning properly.

In the illustrated embodiment, the UAV request apparatus 1000 alsoincludes a control system 1008, which may be provided as one or moreprocessors. A processor may be a general-purpose processor or a specialpurpose processor (e.g., digital signal processors, application specificintegrated circuits, etc.). The control system 1008 can be configured toexecute computer-readable program instructions 1010 that are stored inthe data storage 1012 and are executable to provide the functionality ofa UAV request apparatus described herein.

The control system 1008 may be configured to receive, via the at leastone interface 1004, one or more inputs that correspond to particulartypes of medical situations. In one embodiment, the control system 1008is configured to receive an input that corresponds to a medicalsituation in which a defibrillator, such as an AED, is configured toprovide medical support, such as cardiac arrest. The control system 1008is further configured to send a medical-support request to the accesssystem in response to receipt of an input from the interface 1004. Themedical support request may include an indication of the type of medialsituation(s) selected at the interface 1004 and may also include aunique electronic identifier 1016. In operation, a UAV configured toprovide medical support for the type of medical situation(s)communicated by the control system 1008 in the medical support request,such as a defibrillator, will be deployed to the UAV request apparatus1000.

The data storage 1012 may include or take the form of one or morenon-transitory computer-readable storage media that can be read oraccessed by the control system 1008. The one or more computer-readablestorage media can include volatile and/or non-volatile storagecomponents, such as optical, magnetic, organic or other memory or discstorage, which can be integrated in whole or in part with the controlsystem 1008. In some embodiments, the data storage 1012 can beimplemented using a single physical device (e.g., one optical, magnetic,organic or other memory or disc storage unit), while in otherembodiments, the data storage 1012 can be implemented using two or morephysical devices.

As noted, the data storage 1012 can include computer-readable programinstructions 1010 and perhaps additional data, such as diagnostic dataof the UAV request apparatus 1000. As such, the data storage 1012 mayinclude program instructions to perform or facilitate some or all of theUAV request apparatus functionality described herein. For instance, inthe illustrated embodiment, program instructions 1010 include one ormore medical-support modules 1014. Program instructions 1010 may alsoinclude instructions for the control system 1008 to perform one or morediagnostic tests. The diagnostic tests may be stored on the data storage1012 and the control system 1008 may be configured to periodicallyautomatically perform the tests. Alternatively, may be sent to theapparatus 1000 via the second network interface 1006 and the controlsystem 1008 may be configured to perform the tests upon receipt. In someexamples, the diagnostic tests include tests related to the maintenanceof the apparatus 1000, including verifying system functionality of theapparatus and its components, verifying connectivity of the apparatuswith a first of the network interfaces, verifying functionality of theinterface 1004, etc. The control system 1008 may also be configured tosend the results of the diagnostic tests to a remote computing system,such as a server or computer operated by the service provider. Asdescribed above, the ability of the apparatus to performself-diagnostics may provide a significant cost savings over traditionalsystems, such as installed AEDs.

The data storage 1010 may also include a unique electronic identifier1016 that is unique to each UAV request apparatus 1000. The uniqueelectronic identifier 1016 may therefore provide a means for identifyingthe UAV request apparatus from which a medical-support requestoriginated. Further, in such embodiments where the UAV request apparatusis installed in a known and stationary location, communication of theunique electronic identifier 1016 by the control system 1008 to theaccess system may also provide an indication of the location of theassociated UAV request apparatus 1000. The unique electronic identifier616 may be of various types, such as an IP address or phone number thatit may include in a communication to an access system and/or to adispatch system.

Example medical-support systems may include a plurality of UAV requestapparatuses 1000 positioned at known locations throughout a geographicarea, such as in residences, commercial buildings and public spaces, sothat medical support can be requested by a person in need of suchmedical support (or by others on behalf of a person in need). Thehousing of each UAV request apparatus may be fixedly attached to a wallor other structure within the home, building, etc. Accordingly, becausethe apparatus has a fixed location, this exact location may be quicklyand accurately determined by transmission of the apparatus' uniqueelectronic identifier 616. This provides an advantage over otherlocation determination techniques, such as GPS, which may provide only acoarse location, especially in large multi-story buildings.

As discussed above, the UAV request apparatus 1000 may also includedisplay(s) 1018. In a further aspect, UAV request apparatus 1000 mayalso include communication system(s) 1020 operable to provide a means ofcommunication between the person in need of medical assistance and/or abystander and the access system or dispatch system or an operatorthereof. The communication system(s) 1020 may include microphones,speakers and/or cameras. A user interface 1024 may also be provided onthe housing. The user interface 1024 may be configured to accept one ormore inputs from a user of the UAV request apparatus. The inputs may bereceived via one or more mechanical interface features, such as akeyboard, navigation buttons, or scroll wheel, or one or moretouch-sensitive features, such as a touch-screen display ortouch-sensitive track-pad. In some examples, components such as atouch-screen display may provide the functionality of one or more of theinterface 1004, display 1018 and user interface 1024.

In a further aspect, UAV request apparatus 100 may include powersystem(s) 1022. A power system 1022 may include a connection to abuilding's electrical system and/or one or more batteries for providingpower to the UAV request apparatus 1000. In one example, the one or morebatteries may be rechargeable and each battery may be recharged via awired connection between the battery and a power supply and/or via awireless charging system, such as an inductive charging system thatapplies an external time-varying magnetic field to an internal battery.

As noted above, UAV request apparatus 1000 may include one or moremedical-support modules 1014. The one or more medical-support modules1014 include software, firmware, and/or hardware that may help toprovide or assist in the provision of the medical-support functionalitydescribed herein. Configured as such, a UAV request apparatus 1000 mayprovide or assist in the provision of medical support in various ways.

The medical support module 1014 may be configured to interact with othercomponents of the UAV request apparatus 1000. For example, the medicalsupport module 1014 may be configured access data stored in the datastorage 1012, display videos, images, text or other data to the display1018, play sound data on a speaker of the communication system 1012,activate a camera of the communication system 1012 to gather still orvideo images, transmit data via the network interface 1006 and acceptinputs from the user interface 1024.

For instance, a UAV request apparatus 1000 may have information that canbe provided to a person in need of assistance or persons nearby, inorder to assist the person or persons in providing medical care storedin the data storage 1012. The medical support module 1014 may beconfigured to access this information, in the form of data, image, videoor audio files containing instructions for providing medical support,sored in the data storage 1012. The medical support module 1014 mayfurther be configured to read out this information, such as bydisplaying text or an image or playing a video file on the display 1018or playing a sound file on a speaker of the communication system 1020.The stored instructions may include guidance on how to use or administerthe medical support implement delivered by the UAV. For example, theinstructions may include step-by-step instructions for how to use adefibrillator to assist someone suffering from cardiac arrest, includingguidance on where to place the electrode pads, how to charge the deviceand whether and when to administer a shock. The instructions may furtherinclude a guide for administering CPR or a guide for administering adose of insulin or epinephrine.

As another example, a medical support module 1014 may include aninteractive instruction module to assist a person at the UAV requestapparatus in providing medical support. For example, the program mayinclude a database of “Frequently Asked Questions” (FAQs) related tousing or administering the delivered medical support implement. Further,the interactive instruction module may include a search function forsearching a database of information or FAQs regarding the deliveredmedical support implement stored in the data storage 1012. The modulemay also include step-by-step instructions that may be adjusted ortailored based on input from the person administering support. Forexample, the module may prompt the person administering support to inputcertain health-related parameters of the person suffering from themedical condition, such as temperature, heart rate, respiratory rate,state of consciousness, symptoms, location of injury or pain. The modulemay obtain this information with drop-down menus or by prompting theperson administering support to answer questions related to the healthparameters, i.e. “Is the person conscious? Y/N”; “Can you feel a pulse?Y/N”. Based on this input, the interactive module may adjust thestep-by-step instructions to better assist the person suffering from themedical condition. The medical support module may receive thesehealth-related parameters via the user interface which is configured toaccept one or more inputs each indicative a health parameter of theperson suffering from a medical condition.

The medical support module 1014 may also be configured to provide ameans for the user of the UAV request apparatus to communicate with anemergency medical professional at a remote location, either via thecommunication system 1020 or the user interface 1024. The interface 1024may include a means for the person providing emergency assistance tocommunicate with an operator, dispatcher, or medical professional to,for instance, as questions or receive real-time guidance on how to useor administer the medical support implement, such as by video or voicecommunication. Via this communication, the operator, dispatcher, ormedical professional may provide step-by-step instructions to the personproviding assistance for using or administering the medical supportimplement delivered by the UAV. If the communication system 1020 of theexample UAV request apparatus 1000 includes a camera, the remoteoperator, dispatcher, or medical professional may also view, guide andprovide comment on the actions taken by the person providing assistance.Further, the medical support module 1014 may be configured to connect toan operator, dispatcher or emergency medical professional over a phoneor other voice connection or a video call. The user interface 1006 mayalso include a keyboard for textual communication.

Further, the medical support module 1014 may also be configured toactivate the display 1018 to read out graphics, images or text, such asa map illustrating the exact target landing point of the dispatched UAVand textual instructions on how to get there. The display may also readout a map or satellite image illustrating the flight path, currentlocation and/or distance of the dispatched UAV and may also display aclock or timer for designating the time of or counting down the time toarrival of the UAV. Other examples are also possible.

The data storage 1012 may also contain program instructions 1010 forunlocking certain capabilities of a device remote to the UAV requestapparatus 1000, such as a mobile phone or other handheld computingdevice, which is near the apparatus 1000 at the scene of a medicalsituation. Such capabilities may be inaccessible to a user of the remotedevice, unless the remote device is within a certain distance from theUAV request apparatus 1000. Further, the program instructions may notunlock these capabilities until a medical situation has been indicatedat the UAV request apparatus 1000. For example, once a medical situationhas been received by the control system 1008, a UAV request apparatus1000 may send the remote device a security key that allows the remotedevice to establish a secure connection to communicate with medicalpersonnel at a remote location or to receive data from the apparatus1000 itself. In particular, the remote device may be activated to actmuch like the removable display discussed above and may, for example,receive instructions transmitted from the UAV request apparatus 1000 forproviding medical support or directions to meet the UAV at its targetdestination. Other examples are also possible.

Generally, in application, a service provider may sell these UAV requestapparatuses and the emergency medical service with UAVs to individualsor businesses. The service provider may charge a fee for installation ofthe UAV request apparatus in a home, business or public space and aservice fee to have access to the emergency medical service, such as ona monthly subscription basis. As described above, traditional installedmedical support implements, such as AEDs, can be very expensive to notonly purchase, but install and maintain. The expense of thesetraditional systems are often prohibitive to individuals, home owners,small business owners or others that may desire to provide on-siteemergency medical support implements, such as AEDs. By offering lessexpensive pricing than these traditional installed systems, the examplesystems and UAV request apparatuses may be more attainable for homeowners and other small-scale markets. In particular, the UAV requestapparatuses themselves may be much less expensive than an AED, may costless to install and, because of its automatic maintenance functionality,may cost very little to maintain.

VI. CONCLUSION

Where example embodiments involve information related to a person or adevice of a person, the embodiments should be understood to includeprivacy controls. Such privacy controls include, at least, anonymizationof device identifiers, transparency and user controls, includingfunctionality that would enable users to modify or delete informationrelating to the user's use of a product.

Further, in situations in where embodiments discussed herein collectpersonal information about users, or may make use of personalinformation, the users may be provided with an opportunity to controlwhether programs or features collect user information (e.g., informationabout a user's medical history, social network, social actions oractivities, profession, a user's preferences, or a user's currentlocation), or to control whether and/or how to receive content from thecontent server that may be more relevant to the user. In addition,certain data may be treated in one or more ways before it is stored orused, so that personally identifiable information is removed. Forexample, a user's identity may be treated so that no personallyidentifiable information can be determined for the user, or a user'sgeographic location may be generalized where location information isobtained (such as to a city, ZIP code, or state level), so that aparticular location of a user cannot be determined. Thus, the user mayhave control over how information is collected about the user and usedby a content server.

The particular arrangements shown in the Figures should not be viewed aslimiting. It should be understood that other embodiments may includemore or less of each element shown in a given Figure. Further, some ofthe illustrated elements may be combined or omitted. Yet further, anexemplary embodiment may include elements that are not illustrated inthe Figures.

Additionally, while various aspects and embodiments have been disclosedherein, other aspects and embodiments will be apparent to those skilledin the art. The various aspects and embodiments disclosed herein are forpurposes of illustration and are not intended to be limiting, with thetrue scope and spirit being indicated by the following claims. Otherembodiments may be utilized, and other changes may be made, withoutdeparting from the spirit or scope of the subject matter presentedherein. It will be readily understood that the aspects of the presentdisclosure, as generally described herein, and illustrated in thefigures, can be arranged, substituted, combined, separated, and designedin a wide variety of different configurations, all of which arecontemplated herein.

The invention claimed is:
 1. An apparatus comprising: a housing havingat least one interface configured to accept one or more inputs that areeach indicative of a particular type of medical situation, wherein thehousing is fixedly installable at a known location; a first networkinterface disposed in the housing, wherein the first network interfaceis operable, when the housing is fixedly installed, to communicate withan access system for a network of autonomous unmanned aerial vehicles(UAVs) that are configured for providing medical support, based, atleast in part, on medical information from an associated user-account,wherein at least one of the autonomous UAVs is configured to deliver adefibrillator; and a control system disposed in the housing, wherein thecontrol system is configured, when the housing is fixedly installed, to:receive, via the at least one interface, a first input that correspondsto a first type of medical situation in which a defibrillator isconfigured to provide medical support; and in response to receipt of thefirst input, send a medical-support request to the access system via thefirst network interface, wherein the medical-support request comprises aunique electronic identifier for the apparatus, wherein the uniqueelectronic identifier is indicated by the user-account, and a requestfor delivery of medical support by an autonomous UAV at a locationassociated with the unique electronic identifier according to theuser-account, wherein the medical support includes a defibrillator andis based, at least in part, on the medical information and apayment-based service level from the associated user-account.
 2. Theapparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one interface comprises oneor more mechanical interface features.
 3. The apparatus of claim 2,wherein the mechanical interface features comprise one or more of: abutton, a knob, a lever, a switch, and a dial.
 4. The apparatus of claim1, further comprising at least one display disposed on the housing. 5.The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the at least one display comprises atouch-screen display.
 6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein at least onedisplay is detachable from the housing.
 7. The apparatus of claim 6,wherein the detachable display is configured to be locked to the housinguntil receipt of a first input by the control system.
 8. The apparatusof claim 6, wherein said detachable display is a handheld computingdevice.
 9. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a data storage,the data storage containing information for communication to a userincluding instructions for providing medical support for the inputmedical situation.
 10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the informationincludes instructions for using the defibrillator delivered by a UAV.11. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereininstructions that are executable to cause a control system to performfunctions comprising: receiving, via an interface of an apparatuscomprising a housing fixedly installed at a known location, a firstinput that corresponds to a first type of medical situation in which adefibrillator is configured to provide medical support; and in responseto receipt of the first input, sending, via a network interface, amedical-support request to an access system for a network of autonomousunmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that are configured for providingmedical support based, at least in part, on medical information from anassociated user account, wherein the medical-support request comprises:a unique electronic identifier for the apparatus, wherein the uniqueelectronic identifier is indicated by the associated user-account; anindication of the first type of medical situation: and a request fordelivery of medical support by an autonomous UAV to a locationassociated with the unique electronic identifier according to theuser-account, wherein the medical support provides a defibrillator andis based, at least in part, on the medical information and apayment-based service level from the associated user-account, andwherein the unique electronic identifier is associated with a fixedlocation of the apparatus.
 12. The non-transitory computer readablemedium of claim 11, wherein the interface is configured to accept one ormore inputs that are each indicative of a particular type of medicalsituation.
 13. An apparatus comprising: a housing having at least oneinterface configured to accept one or more inputs that are eachindicative of a different type of medical situation, wherein the housingis fixedly installable at a known location; a first network interfacedisposed in the housing, wherein the first network interface isoperable, when the housing is fixedly installed, to communicate with anaccess system for a network of autonomous unmanned aerial vehicles(UAVs) that are configured for providing medical support based, at leastin part, on medical information from an associated user-account; and acontrol system disposed in the housing, wherein the control system isconfigured, when the housing is fixedly installed, to: receive, via theat least one interface, one or more inputs that each correspond to adifferent type of medical situation; and in response to receipt of theone or more inputs, send a medical-support request to the access systemvia the first network interface, wherein the medical-support requestcomprises a unique electronic identifier for the apparatus, wherein theunique electronic identifier is indicated by the associateduser-account, and a request for delivery of medical support by anautonomous UAV at a location associated with the unique electronicidentifier according to the user account, wherein the medical supportprovides one or more medical support implements configured to providesupport for the received inputs corresponding to different types ofmedical situations and based, at least in part, on the medicalinformation and a payment-based service level from the associateduser-account.
 14. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising a datastorage, the data storage containing information for communication to auser including instructions for providing medical support for the inputmedical situation.
 15. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising auser interface configured to accept one or more inputs each indicativeof a health parameter of a person suffering from a medical condition.16. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising an interactiveinstruction module, said module configured to communicate instructionsfor providing medical support for the input medical situation, saidinstructions based at least in part on said one or more inputs eachindicative of a health parameter.
 17. The apparatus of claim 14, furthercomprising a communication system configured to provide communicationbetween a user of said apparatus and an emergency medical technician ata remote location.
 18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein saidcommunication system comprises one or more of a microphone, a camera, aspeaker and a display.
 19. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein saidcontrol system is further configured to execute instructions forperforming one or more self-diagnostic tests.
 20. The apparatus of claim19, wherein said one or more self-diagnostic tests comprise one ofverifying system functionality of the apparatus, verifying connectivityof the apparatus with the first network interface, and verifyingfunctionality of the at least one interface.
 21. The apparatus of claim20 further comprising a second network connection configured tocommunicate instructions for performing one or more self-diagnostictests from a remote computing device to the apparatus.